Cross-section polishing

Cross-section polishing (CP) system utilizes broad argon ion beam (~1 mm) to mill away any materials that are not masked by the shield. It could produce a flat, smear-free cross sections readily be analyzed by SEM and electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD). The system is also equipped with cryogenic stage for preparation of temperature/beam sensitive samples. The cryo-stage is extremely useful for structural analysis of battery separators - cross-sectioning through ion milling at cryogenic temperature allows visualization of pore distribution without closing of pores due to local overheating.

Cross-section polishing
Cross-sectional Specimens Prepared by CP

CarlBerk’s central analytical lab is equipped with two different CP systems, a Gatan Ion II 697 model and a Leica EM TIC 3X system, both of which were installed with a build-in cryo-stage cooled by liquid nitrogen. Below are some representative cross-section samples prepared by CP systems.

Cross-section polishing